Team Wetball
Brenda Mehdian, staff writer
Team Wetball’s story begins in 2012, when seven freshmen decided to put together a dodgeball team to rival the veterans of the tournament. Comprised of students from El Rodeo and Beverly Vista who have known each other since elementary school, Team Wetball has hung in with the upperclassmen’s teams in past years, but is looking to fulfill their “destiny” as “dodgeball gods,” according to junior Justin Shegerian. This teams consists of juniors Shegerian, Mason Leib, Dominic Perlman, Jackson Prince, Josh Schenk, Trevor Bergher and Harry Green.
The team sees an advantage in their chemistry, as the boys grew up together and competed with and against each other in elementary school.
“What makes our team unique is the bond that we have with each other due to our years of friendship and our familiarity with one another’s dodgeball techniques,” Leib said.
Team Wetball is so-called because of the “wetball” shot in basketball which Perlman, a former Norman basketball player, coined. Team Wetball has had considerable success in past dodgeball tournaments; in their debut, they were among the top eight teams, and last year they made it to the final four.
According to Prince, the team “just goes out there and has a good time,” although each member carries with them specific responsibilities.
“Each guy has a job to do on the dodgeball pitch. We have guys who throw heat, as well as catching-specialists and survivalists who stubbornly remain in the game,” he said.
Though the team takes dodgeball seriously, the junior boys use the event as another bonding experience in what is a long-lasting friendship.
“We text each other about strategies, although usually it’s just joking around. We are all really close friends and that translates to the game. We’re all competitive with each other in seeing who performs best, but it’s for the love of the game,” Schenk said.
Team Wetball was able to put its best foot forward so far, as it knocked off its first-round opponent, the McFlurry’s, and will look to continue their success against The Bandits.
#TeamUSA
Brenda Mehdian, staff writer
The members of #TeamUSA have known each other for about five years now, but this will be their debut in the tournament. Senior Brandon Davis, juniors Brandon Kerrick, Michael Massie, Derrick Armstrong, Cameron Forbes, Ibro Agaba and sophomore Jihad McDougal decided to form a team this year due to the popularity of the dodgeball tournament in past years.
The team is unlike any other in the tournament, as they represent a certain sector of the Norman student body.
“Our team is unique because we are a representation of the black male population at our school,” Davis said.
According to Kerrick, “skin color” sets #TeamUSA apart from the other dodgeball teams. It is an all-African-American team that had joined forces with other dodgeballers in the past, but were defeated during the early rounds of the tournament. However, this year, #TeamUSA is “not going to stand losing and are willing to put in their best effort,” according to Kerrick.
All of the players that make up #TeamUSA are athletes ranging from defensive linemen, safeties and point guards to runners, outfielders and volleyballers. Davis is the self-proclaimed team captain due to his seniority among his fellow teammates and his general reliability.
The name of the team was a last-minute decision and because the team was organized soon after the winter Olympics ended, members decided to go with #TeamUSA.
“A lot of the other ideas were a little inappropriate so we decided that this was a clever yet appropriate name,” Davis said.
#TeamUSA brought down the Dodgefathers and will take on La Flame in the second round.
COMETHRU
COMETHRU will look to cap their dodgeball careers at Beverly with a championship. These seniors, Josh Nierob, Adam Steinberg, Maxwell Martin, Siavash Yektafar, Dominic Nora, Chris Johnson and Aaron Wolfe, have known each other since freshman year, and formed this team out of the hope of bringing home the grand prize. Although each team member has individually participated in the annual dodgeball tournaments in past years, this is the first time that all seven members will unite as one team.
“We’re the best of the best,” Steinberg said. “So we thought, ‘Why not make one all-star team?’”
COMETHRU, named after the Drake song, came through in its first matchup against Team Freshman during lunch on March 24. The team has not done anything in particular to prepare, but according to Martin, they believe that their strength is the chemistry between team members and athleticism, which will bring success.
“Most of the team is involved in sports or other activities that involve a tremendous load of arm strength, so I definitely think that gives us an upper hand,” he said. “ In addition, we are all seniors, so we have had three years of experience on our side.”
The boys believe that they possess all of the tools necessary to win the tournament. According to Steinberg, the team has a winning mentality, which he believes will greatly benefit them.
For COMETHRU, it’s now or never for their Norman dodgeball careers. They will face Catching Balls next.
MatzahBall Men
The members of MatzahBall Men have finger-painted together, played Little League against each other and even helped each other through puberty. The creation of this dodgeball team is simply a continuation of their journey as friends. The team is comprised solely of underclassmen, including five sophomores, Blake Ackerman, Davis Freeman, Isaac Rabbanian, Max Walder, Eric Ross and Matt Reskin, and one freshman, Grant Gaon. The six sophomores were on the same team together last year, and Gaon was added on this year upon his arrival at Beverly.
“I like being the only freshman on the team. I take it as a challenge that I am willing to accept,” he said.
So far, the MatzahBall Men, named for its Jewish team members, have remained unscathed in the tournament, defeating the ASBeats. According to Gaon, the team is looking for more than just one victory.
“We want to make a statement that even though we are one of the younger teams, we are a force to be reckoned with,” he said.
According to Ackerman, the team’s secret weapons are the arms of Gaon and Reskin. However, the team doesn’t rely on one star, as “each member steps up when they are needed.”
MatzahBall Men will take on the Brown Coats in their second game of the tournament.
